Money

When you have more money than you know what to do with, you may want to buy the most expensive 'whatever' you can find. We scoured Montana for the most expensive stuff you can buy, from gear and toys to RVs and cheese. No kidding.

If you thought the opinions and rhetoric about Whole Foods coming to town was over the top, there's another luxury grocery chain that would make Bozeman's head explode if they ever decided to expand here.

Forget Bozeman, Missoula, Billings, or Great Falls. When you're looking for some of the most valuable properties in Montana, the smallest towns are now the hotbed for some seriously impressive real estate.

It's a scary time to be a renter in the state of Montana. It's been that way for several years but now more than ever, as property owners across the state have received their new property tax bills - and some of the increases are alarming for owners and renters alike.

Let's say you had enough money that you didn't have to work a traditional job. At all. Income was just not an issue for you, so you were able to do what you wanted and buy what you wanted whenever you wanted. I despise the term 'lady of leisure' but unfortunately there are few other phrases that depict the lifestyle we're trying to describe.

When you think about "rich zip codes" in Montana, the smaller foo-foo ski towns or lake towns might spring to mind first. Depending on what measure of wealth we use, you might actually be right. But in this instance, the question was specific and didn't have to deal with accumulated wealth or real estate holdings.

You have to pay to play in Montana. Play outdoors, that is. The toys, the gear, the vehicles, the activities, the permits, and everything else you might need to pursue Montana's outdoor adventures can get VERY expensive.

When you think of all the rich and famous people who now call Montana home, at least part-time, this well-known billionaire isn't on the list - but I wish he was. Although his companies do have major business dealings in Montana, I couldn't find any search evidence that he's got residential property here.

I won't pretend to be an expert in Montana liquor and gaming laws, but I can see that the current cost of obtaining a liquor license almost ANYWHERE in Montana has reached insane levels. Even available licenses in pretty small, un-touristy towns are highly priced. Why has this been an issue for so long around here?

I joked for a long time that I should move to Great Falls or Billings because that's where it seemed all of Montana's big lottery winners were buying their tickets. That doesn't seem to be the case anymore. One Montana town is selling decently big winning tickets every week now.

Finally. Bozeman, Montana takes the #1 spot on a list that doesn't make me mad or make me roll my eyes. It's an important list about about money, and making more of it. In a town that has priced itself and it's local families nearly out of range, it's a small win for folks working entry level jobs.

Did your head explode this week as you opened your new Gallatin County property assessment? You're not alone. Nobody expected their property taxes to go down or stay the same - we all knew they were going up. HOWEVER, the increase this year for most property owners is downright painful.